Hochoetz is a delightful location for families to enjoy the splendour of skiing the Austrian Alps without all the fuss & expense of being in one of the mega ski resorts. Hochoetz also makes an excellent alternative to Kuhtai & the Oetztal ski resorts of Soelden & Obergurgl Hochgurgl on days of poor visibility.
The family friendliness is immediately noticeable. The gondola valley on the outskirts of the town of Oetz is marvellously sheltered on even the worst weather days. A comfortable gondola ride reaches the nerve centre of the resort at a snow -sure 2020m elevation. The multi-function building has a major restaurant, excellent children's facilities, ski rentals, sun terraces & bars. In addition to the learn-to ski area, a range of short ski runs rated intermediate (but in reality, several should be beginner) are served by a multitude of lifts. The children's area has all the mod-cons to make it easy for parents, including elevator access, viewing, platforms, a cafe & seating areas.
The resorts longer trails extend from above at 2,200m all the way to Ochsengarten allowing for quality runs of 700m vertical. Advanced riders are kept interested with the trails & routes of Wetterkreuzbahn, but the skiable vertical is not great. The off-piste is ok, with a few tree-skiing options, but is generally low angle. With some skinning, there are excellent backcountry routes to seek out beyond the resort boundaries, but alas we had no time to do them.
As expected there are a host of après ski & quality dining opportunities throughout the resort. The Kuhtaile Alm is our pick. We overnighted in the town of Oetz, within walking distance of the gondola. Whilst it is quite low and can be bereft of snow at the fringes of winter, the town of Oetz is good value, has all services & quality restaurants plus transport links to all the ski resorts in the area, with buses going as far Obergurgl Hochgurgl. Oetz also makes a great base to ski the entire region, particularly if one has a car.
Hochoetz's ski lift pass is super-cheap & valid in the fabulous Kuehtai ski resort (connected via free ski bus from Ochsengarten). Kuhtai is sublime on a clear powder day & one of the best ski areas in Austria, making it a great addition to a visit to Hochoetz. Or perhaps Hochoetz is a great addition to a visit to Kuehtai!!!